Category Archives: Modern Offices

Ergonomics is all about choosing something that fits the individual like a Electric Height Adjustable Desk Similar to choosing a suit or a pair of jeans, if the item feels good, then so do you. That’s why ergonomic desks come in all shapes and sizes, taking on board the person and the responsibilities of the job.

The height of a desk or table normally falls within 24 and 27 inches and, with an ergonomic chair, the set-up should be that the user’s lower arms lie horizontally on the armrests, to meet the desk comfortably. But a chair is height adjustable, meaning that if a tall person is sitting in the ergonomic chair, there may be little clearance for the legs under the desk and the forearms may be on a downward slope, as they reach the keyboard. It therefore makes sense that desks are also height-adjustable.

So, when the ergonomic office chair and the height-adjustable desk come together, they should be covering the following points:-

• The legs slide comfortably under the desk and the person’s feet sit firmly on the floor (someone with restricted growth may make use of an ergonomic footrest, to achieve ideal posture)

• The forearms are positioned horizontally, using the armrests for full support, so that hands meet the desk comfortably, without any need to bend the wrists unnaturally

• The monitor is placed directly in front of the user but set back at least 20 inches and its height should be such that the eyes look down ever so slightly, to read the screen. Some ergonomic desks have an extra shelf attached to the back of the desk top, on which a monitor can stand, though getting the eye-to-screen mathematics right is paramount, when making a desk choice. There are also monitor lift arms, which can mount a monitor at the right height for the individual

• The desk is not too deep, that reaching becomes an issue.

Ergonomic desks come in a variety of shapes – the normal rectangular, L shaped, curved front, rounded edges, split level and also with suspended keyboard tray. Height-adjustable tables also cater for work which is better done standing up e.g. looking at plans and pointing to information being discussed, or sorting information into folios or piles where, without that extra height, stooping would be necessary.

Working out what’s right for you may seem a bit of a challenge but, with the above information, you can see what ergonomics is all about. Like that suit or pair of jeans, you now know what you’re looking for.

An ergonomic chair means that the seating matches both the person’s physical needs and job responsibilities so, to do this, it has to be adjustable.

Imagine the user – tall, short, thin, overweight, disabled in some way – adjustments need to be made to the ergonomic chair, to suit that particular worker.

The seat needs to be height-adjustable, both for leg length and body / back length. The chair should have an in-built lumbar support panel which, with adjustment, both height and tilt-wise, can be positioned to meet the person’s lumbar region and also support the natural curve of the spine. The seat itself will have a 16 to 20 inch height adjustment range, to make the average person’s feet comfortably touch the floor and pneumatic height adjustment allows for effortless change to the seat requirement. For people who have restricted growth, an ergonomic footstool will make feet to base contact successful, as the height of the chair needs to tally with the desk height.

The seat base itself should also allow for tilt and an ideal angle is for the front to slope downwards a little, as this takes any pressure off the knee joint area and thus supports continued good circulation in the lower legs. The seat density should not be too soft, as its purpose is to support your weight firmly and comfortably.

Arm height adjustment is also an ergonomic necessity, so support can be given to the lower arms, as they reach to meet the desk or keyboard. Getting this height right will go a long way to preventing hand / wrist problems, such as repetitive strain injury (RSI) and carpal tunnel syndrome. There is also an item called a wrist rest, a light-weight article which helps get that angle between wrist and keyboard right, again supporting joints and prolonging comfort.

Getting the chair right for the user will involve trial and error and, after a few days of usage, perfect settings can be reached, making sure that the ergonomic chair does what it is supposed to do. Consider, however, that after a holiday or a long period away from work, someone else may have made use of the chair, and possibly adjusted the settings.

Buying an ergonomic chair is an investment in both health and work performance. Sitting, with correct support given where it is needed, will make for a more comfortable and satisfying day of work.Ergonomic Office Chairs

Ergonomics – very much a late twentieth century word. It means the study of the application of biology and engineering to the relationship between workers and their environment. It may be a word you have never used nor even heard. In lay terms, it means making the working environment fit the individual’s needs.

The last twenty years has seen an increase in health and safety awareness. This covers a multitude of issues, from infection control to fire awareness and its main purpose is to identify hazards and prevent accidents. Ergonomics is much the same thing, this time looking at the working environment and how we can prevent discomfort to the body e.g. back pain, repetitive strain injury (RSI) and eye strain. A basic example might be that a woman with multiple sclerosis (MS) has to do a lot of walking with her office job and by looking at the location of her computer workstation and the reasons that she needs to walk to other areas within the building, a plan can be formulated to cut down on distances travelled. This could be as simple as moving filing cabinets closer to her computer workstation, or finding her an office closer to the filing area. Ergonomics at work

Sometimes, in the name of work, we put our bodies through assault courses:-

*stretching for files on high shelves*shuffling under the desk, to unplug the computer.*putting the swivel chair through its paces, so as it reach this or that.*working at the computer, even though the office chair isn’t a suitable height to comfortably use the keyboard.

Addressing these issues and making the working environment more user-friendly is ergonomics.

I remember a case of a young and fit gentleman who did shuffle under the desk to unplug his computer, at the end of his working day. The injury that this seemingly simple task caused led to a lengthy period of sickness and the need for a workstation assessment. The assessment identified the need for an ergonomic office chair that was going to give his neck and back the support that they needed, to prevent any exacerbation to his unfortunate condition.

So, ergonomics is two-fold. For the employer, such considerations create a safer working environment and risk assessments may identify needs within particular work areas. For the employee, it creates a more user-friendly environment, making work more comfortable and injury less of a likelihood. With benefits all round, paying attention to ergonomics definitely makes sense.

Imagine you’re sitting in a perfect office: somewhere where you have to go but you’re also pleased to be. Everyone’s idea will be slightly different, though all will contain the essentials.

A perfect ergonomic office will be light and inviting. If there’s a window close to you, the natural light will make the office feel fresh and alive. If this isn’t happening for you, then you need to invite light into the room. A standard lamp may add a touch of homeliness and you can also use angle poise lamps, to direct the light to your office desk, making reading easy, particularly on those long winter days when everything seems to be overcast. Don’t forget that view from the window. Maybe it’s beautiful, maybe it’s not, so why not hang a scenic picture on the wall in front of you, or frame a smaller version for your desk: it might not be a desk toy but it will still make you feel good.

If your office is small, make it feel bigger. This can be done by using glass office furniture, as the light passing through that beautiful crystal gives an illusion of space. However, if you’re one of those people that hoards a lot of stuff under your office desk, you’re now going to have to tidy up your act. This in itself is a good thing, as we are always being told to de-clutter our lives and getting rid of unnecessary paper will again create space. It will also make work more pleasurable, as you have now become more organised.

So, the place looks bigger, brighter and inviting. The next step is to get that office chair right. Right for you, as you’re the one who is going to be sitting in it. It’s not only the seat pad that is important, although sitting on something soft is better than something that has no flexibility. You want that best office chair to be supporting you in all the right places. The lower back of the chair matches your lower back: it’s giving support and taking some of the weight of your upper body off your own frame. Its adjustable arm rests, its swivel action and its seat pad height mechanism make sitting a more natural action, rather than an expected pose. While all of this happening, your body is relaxing and encouraging your thoughts to be in the same frame of mind. So what type of office chair? Well considering all of the above it has to be an ergonomic office chair.

For many of us, even the journey to work can be stressful, so the last thing you want is to carry this edginess through the day. Getting that ergonomic office right for you will reflect itself in the quality of your work and the quantity and that can’t be a bad thing, can it?